Docking lights

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Dmullen

Well-known member
Joined
Jul 23, 2021
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48
Fluid Motion Model
C-32 CB
Vessel Name
Selah
My port side docking light on my Cutwater 24 is not working. Is there a replacement bulb for the light? It appears that the whole fixture comes out by taking out 4 screws. Has anyone experienced a similar problem?
 
Any mr16 bulb. I replaced mine with led. Easy Peazy…..4 screws.
 
When the 4 screws are take out the whole unit comes out from the fiberglass ? Where did you get the replacement bulb?
Thanks for the info..
 
resurfacing this thread. I got LED replacement bulbs for the docking lights on my C30. I tried to change one yesterday, and naturally I dropped two of the 4 retaining springs for the metal trim piece which secures the bulb into the water, never to be seen again. I've asked the parts department where to find the springs, but has anyone else found these anywhere, or a suitable replacement? That entire fixture is a really lousy design for changing the bulbs...
 
I have a 2019 C28. We mostly travel the Chesapeake Bay and its tributaries. We enjoy going out to dinner at night, so a good portion of our travel is in the dark. The Chesapeake is known for its blue crabs and along with the crabs are the tens of thousands of crab pots. Navigating through them in the dark is difficult. I tried using the dock lights but they were not nearly bright enough. From what I can find, they only put out 300 lumens. I installed a spot light which helps, but the light reflects off of the bow rail back into your eyes. In desperation, I decided to replace the factory installed dock lights with new lights. The new lights each put out 1400 lumens. I haven't had a chance to test them, but will when I attend the Pocket Knot Ranger Tug / Cutwater rendezvous June 3rd.
 
You’re using the docking lights while navigating in open water?


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Please don’t use docking lights as “headlights” on your boat. It is unsafe and illegal. The only lights you should be running with at night are your navigation lights and occasional spotlight use as needed.


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when replacing the bulbs do I have to break any sealant?
 
HookedUp":38o8zmjk said:
I use a Sionyx camera to avoid crab pots and other obstructions at night. I view it from my iPad and it works great. Lights at night only cause night blindness and the camera will light it up, in color, just about like daytime. I'd consider https://www.boemarine.com/sionyx-ni...SE9C9TruiRWjM2wL0MqAIBWVRHfuzf6saAoRFEALw_wcB instead of attempting to use lights.
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Richard,
Thanks for your input and the link. Where do you have your camera located? Is it in your cabin or on the top deck exposed to the weather?
 
Cutwater28GG":2wov8ycc said:
when replacing the bulbs do I have to break any sealant?
Click to expand...

Nope. Somehow my question about the springs got lost in the shuffle here. While you don't have to break any sealant, I can highly advise you do this on dry land while the boat is out of the water. I tried to replace mine at the dock hanging off the side of the boat. After removing the 4 screws and not dropping those or your screwdriver in the water, there are 4 retaining springs that hold the MR16 bulb in place with a ring around the face of it, and they clip down to the inside of the fixture way back, in tiny very difficult to attach hook holes. Probably one of the worst light bulb fixture designs I've ever seen for a marine application. Needless to say I dropped two of them in the water, and now the bulb is loose in the fixture until I can figure out which springs to buy.
 
I have my Sionyx camera outside when I mount it. Don't have that new one I provided a link for yet, but I use one of their waterproof cameras mounted on a rail and wifi it to my iPad. Haven't tried it inside yet as I'm happy with the way it's working and I've gotten great video. Almost looks like daytime and the colors really stand out.

As for crab pots down here they either put them in the channels or they drift into the channels. When that happens the ropes are too short and the float is often below water at high tide or bobbing in and out of the water. Really tough to see in daytime and although the camera is a help at night they are still hard if not impossible to see if the float is below water. Hope you don't face that being further north although years ago when I sailed to Annapolis I saw the same thing with crab pot floats.
 
What 4 screws do you take out? There are 4 square drive screws and 8 Phillips. I assume it's the 4 square drive. When you take out the 4 screws identified, does the whole unit come out? Does it require a calking when put back together?
 
Dmullen":1t2t7x44 said:
What 4 screws do you take out? There are 4 square drive screws and 8 Phillips. I assume it's the 4 square drive. When you take out the 4 screws identified, does the whole unit come out? Does it require a calking when put back together?
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Assuming you have the same docking lights that I do, you only need to take out the 4 square drive screws. once you get the cover off, the bulb is held in place buy a ring and 4 springs. Use extreme caution and preferably do it on dry land when removing those. I lost 2 of my springs.
 
Dmullen":274xs2t0 said:
Thanks Dave B
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Anytime! Hope to cross paths in Gig harbor sometime. I'm at the SYC outstation there pretty regularly, and at Tides tavern with the same frequency 🙂
 
I took off the docking light but found that my docking light does not have a bulb inside the unit(no MR16 bulb) . The wiring is connected to LED's directly through something like a transistor unit. Power is coming to the unit but the LED's do not light up. Stuck again! Anyone experience this? Any suggestions?
 
I connected my starboard LED Docking lights to an external 12 volt battery and the LED lit up thus LED's are good, but there must be a bad ground, or ? I am not able to find the fuse for the light in Fuse block one and two. Not sure where the wires run to see if there is a splice that is bad or the wiring between the LED and wire coming in through the hull is broken (?). Factory: Is there a schematic or something that can give me more information? Any suggestions at this point would help.
 
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